Updating . .   

Nearly 250,000 new coronavirus cases in 8 days: Where is L.A. County Omicron surge heading? -- Over the last eight days, there have been nearly 250,000 positive cases of coronavirus reported in Los Angeles County, a record-breaking number that shows how fast the Omicron variant is spreading. Luke Money, Alex Wigglesworth, Rong-Gong Lin II, Priscella Vega, John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

California surpasses astonishing 6 million COVID-19 infections as Omicron wave expands -- More than 6 million cumulative coronavirus cases have now been reported in California, according to data compiled by The Times — the latest milestone as the Omicron variant continues its record-smashing race across the state. Luke Money, Rong-Gong Lin II in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

Asymptomatic infected health care workers can work, California says -- The extraordinarily contagious omicron variant is also leaving many hospitals short-handed as doctors, nurses and other health care workers contract the virus. In response, CDPH in a weekend letter said health care workers who test positive for the coronavirus but are asymptomatic “may return to work immediately without isolation and without testing.” Michael McGough in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/22

Living with COVID-19: How the virus could turn into the common cold, or something far worse -- As it races around the world, the COVID-19 omicron variant shows tantalizing hints that it could morph into the ideal virus: highly transmissible, to be sure, but tamed by vaccines and milder than previous, sometimes deadly versions. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/10/22

U.S. sends states monoclonal antibodies that may not work against omicron -- The federal government has resumed shipping all three monoclonal antibody treatments authorized for early-stage covid-19 to states despite evidence that two might be ineffective against the omicron variant of the coronavirus that is sweeping the country. Lenny Bernstein, Laurie McGinley and Katie Shepherd in the Washington Post$ -- 1/10/22

COVID School  

LAUSD suspends athletic competition for a week due to COVID-19 surge -- The Los Angeles Unified School District sent an email to high school administrators and parents late Sunday informing them all athletic competition this week (Jan. 10-14) will be postponed and rescheduled due the COVID-19, specifically referring to the omicron variant. Tarek Fattal in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/10/22

Policy and Politics  

COVID-19, children, climate change are focal points in Newsom’s budget plan -- Built on projections of a ninth consecutive year of surplus tax revenue — a streak that has made California’s deficit-ridden past a distant memory — the $286.4-billion spending plan Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Monday builds on the state’s recent efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, homelessness and a worsening drought while surpassing K-12 school funding records set just last year. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ Emily DeRuy in the San Jose Mercury$ Nicole Nixon Capital Public Radio Julie Johnson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

California’s Newsom wants health coverage for all immigrants -- It’s part of his effort to address what he termed five of the most populous state’s biggest challenges in a $286.4 billion budget that builds on a surplus projected by the Legislative Analyst to be at least $31 billion. Newsom’s budget proposal uses a much bigger surplus estimate because his administration uses a different definition of what counts as a surplus. Adam Beam Associated Press Nadia Lopez in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/22

Single-payer health care is back on the table at the California Capitol -- This week, California lawmakers will take up the latest attempt to get all state residents covered under the same health plan — an idea referred to as single payer health care — that’s been sparking debate at the Capitol for the past five years. Sammy Caiola Capital Public Radio -- 1/10/22

Newsom proposes $2.7 billion for COVID response -- Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing a $2.7 billion COVID relief package, including $1.4 billion in emergency spending, largely for testing. Emily Hoeven CalMatters -- 1/10/22

COVID omicron surge could mean trouble for California Democrats in midterm election -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s management of the COVID-19 crisis was a big reason he easily won last year’s recall effort. But political times have changed, the path to November success has become unpredictable, and incumbents –mostly Democrats – are at increasing risk of being victims of voter anger. David Lightman in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/22

What’s behind the ‘Great Resignation’ of California lawmakers? -- An unusually high number of influential state legislators are retiring or running for higher office. The reasons include a combination of new electoral districts, term limits and political ambition. Ben Christopher CalMatters -- 1/10/22

Swalwell’s lawsuit against Trump over Capitol insurrection faces make-or-break test -- East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell’s effort to take Donald Trump to court over the Capitol insurrection will face a major court test on Monday — one that could prove pivotal in determining whether the former president and his allies can face any legal challenges over the violent riot. Tal Kopan in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

Skelton: California Democrats are trying again for universal healthcare. It’s a debate well worth having -- Calling the Democrats’ new universal healthcare legislation “bold” is an understatement. It would be a life-changer for practically every Californian. It also would require by far the largest state tax increase in history. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

Workplace  

Empower workers or government overreach? California’s fast food bill tests labor laws -- Amid growing awareness of inequality and jobs that don’t pay enough to cover child care and housing, California is considering a radical proposal: Allow the state to negotiate wages, hours and work conditions for an entire industry. Jackie Botts and Jesse Bedayn CalMatters -- 1/10/22

Education  

Newsom proposes big funding for UC, Cal State. But there’s a catch: Close equity gaps -- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget proposal released Monday makes a significant pledge to the University of California and California State University: five years of annual funding increases that would deliver long-sought financial stability. Teresa Watanabe in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

California schools would see more than $20,000 per student in state funding under governor’s budget -- California’s public schools would see more than $20,000 per student in state funding under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $102 billion education budget proposal, with significant funding to help districts weather the ongoing pandemic. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

Wildfire   

Judge pauses California luxury development over wildfire evacuation concerns -- When Lake County approved plans for a sprawling, luxury development in the Guenoc Valley wine region in the summer of 2020, officials hailed the project as an economic “game-changer” that would create “mind-boggling” employment. Alex Wigglesworth in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

Climate  

Rising heat and hardships could hit San Joaquin Valley within three decades, study predicts -- Within three decades, the San Joaquin Valley’s annual average temperature could increase by 4 degrees, worsening water quality and health hazards in the impoverished communities of California’s agricultural heartland, according to a new regional climate change report. Louis Sahagún in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

Why are San Jose’s trees disappearing? City loses hundreds of acres each year -- The city has a considerably lower amount of tree canopy than other major U.S. cities. Maggie Angst in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/10/22

Housing  

As new housing law hits Bay Area, developers wade in -- Minutes after Palo Alto City Hall reopened for the new year, architect Randy Popp emailed city planners a client’s proposal to replace an aging single-family home on a large lot with three new houses and an accessory unit. Louis Hansen in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/10/22

San Francisco ADUs are being built mostly in the richest parts of the city -- California’s uphill battle against its housing crisis has increasingly called upon a small but powerful actor: the accessory dwelling unit, or ADU. Susie Neilson in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

Susanville   

‘Nothing Will Be the Same’: A Prison Town Weighs a Future Without a Prison -- After a decade of efforts that sharply reduced inmate populations, California is closing prisons. One town at the edge of a valley in remote northeast California whose economy is built on incarceration is waging a legal battle to keep a prison open. Tim Arango, Max Whittaker in the New York Times$ -- 1/10/22

Water  

Wet Season Watch: Will California get out of drought this winter? -- While the wet season started strong, with record rain and snow in some parts of the state at the end of 2021, the heavy precipitation would have to continue into spring for California to claw its way out of drought. Yoohyun Jung and Kurtis Alexander in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

Also . . .   

Robert Durst, real estate scion convicted of murder, dies -- Real estate scion Robert Durst dodged justice for nearly four decades since the disappearance of his wife, Kathleen McCormack, in New York in 1982. In Texas, he beat charges of killing a neighbor whose body he admitted to dismembering and dumping into Galveston Bay. And for 15 years, he eluded Los Angeles investigators who suspected he killed his close friend Susan Berman at her Benedict Canyon home. Joe Mozingo, James Queally in the Los Angeles Times$ Andrew Dalton and Brian Melley Associated Press -- 1/10/22

In Beverly Hills, Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has Paid $65 Million for Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen’s “Enchanted Hill” -- The deal, which closed in December, marks the end of a more than three-year push to sell the roughly 120-acre property, which came on the market asking $150 million in 2018. Katherine Clarke in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 1/10/22

California Policy and Politics Monday Morning  

L.A. County sets another daily record with more than 45,000 coronavirus cases -- Los Angeles County reached another daily record of coronavirus cases as health officials on Sunday reported more than 45,000 new infections. Priscella Vega in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

California officials warn against price gouging of home coronavirus test kits -- With coronavirus tests nearly impossible to find in the Bay Area — and San Francisco health officials saying they will limit testing early this week because of “challenges beyond our control” — California officials are now warning against price gouging for at-home test kits. Jessica Flores in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

Coronavirus-infected hospital staff without symptoms can stay on the job in California -- Faced with an exponential rise in COVID-19 cases across California, the state’s Department of Public Health now says that health care workers who test positive for the virus can remain on the job — at least through Feb. 1. John King in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

Stay home or work sick? Omicron poses a conundrum -- As the raging omicron variant of COVID-19 infects workers across the nation, millions of those whose jobs don’t provide paid sick days are having to choose between their health and their paycheck. Anne D'InnocenzIo and Dee-Ann Durbin Associated Press -- 1/10/22

Will COVID-19 plague us forever? Here’s what the experts say -- Years from now, when 2020 is a distant memory, a face mask will still dangle from your rear-view mirror, one epidemiologist predicts. Teri Sforza in the Los Angeles Daily News$ -- 1/10/22

Forming a picture of what life could be like after the omicron surge -- Even as the omicron variant of the coronavirus fuels an unprecedented surge in cases across the Bay Area, many health experts say there’s reason to be hopeful that the region will come out the other side of this wave better protected than before, and further along the path toward a less chaotic coexistence with COVID. Erin Allday in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

COVID School  

Milpitas schools will be in-person this week after county urges districts to avoid remote learning -- Milpitas schools will stay open for in-person learning this week for their 10,000 students after top officials in Santa Clara County urged districts late Friday to not go remote. Gabriel Greschler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 1/10/22

Policy and Politics  

Newsom’s budget would add billions to fight drought, fires and boost California farms -- Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday will propose spending billions of additional dollars on drought response, wildfire suppression and rural workforce development programs, according to budget documents reviewed by The Sacramento Bee. Sophia Bollag in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/22

‘If not us, then who?’: inside the landmark push for reparations for Black Californians -- Dawn Basciano’s ancestors arrived five generations ago in Coloma, California, as enslaved people, forced to leave behind an infant son enslaved to another family in Missouri. Vivian Ho The Guardian -- 1/10/22

Walters: Should state provide health care to everyone? -- On paper, having one state agency as the exclusive purveyor of health care for 40 million Californians would seem to make sense, replacing dozens of federal, state and private systems and their often bewildering financial and managerial peculiarities. Dan Walters CalMatters -- 1/10/22

Powerless  

More than 3,000 PG&E customers still waiting on power 2 weeks after Sierra Nevada storm -- On Sunday afternoon, PG&E spokeswoman Karly Hernandez said that 3,198 customers were still without power. In Nevada County, 1,978 were still affected by the blackouts, plus 562 in El Dorado County, 452 in Placer County and 200 in Sierra County. Vincent Moleski in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 1/10/22

Street  

Police rescue pilot moments before Metrolink train slams into crashed plane -- Los Angeles Police Department officers in Pacoima rescued a pilot from a crashed plane just moments before a train slammed into the aircraft Sunday afternoon, authorities said. Laura Newberry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/9/22

First claim filed over COVID-19 death in San Bernardino County jails -- 'The jails continue to be a really dangerous place to be during this pandemic,' says a prisoner rights attorney. Joe Nelson in the San Bernardino Sun$ -- 1/10/22

Education  

California schools risk ‘colossal’ loss of dollars as enrollment drops -- As they await the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2022-23 state budget, school district officials across California are worried about losing millions of dollars all at once, resulting in staffing cuts in a time when students need more attention than ever. Joe Hong in the San Francisco Chronicle$ -- 1/10/22

New law on mental health curriculum goes into effect with start of the new year -- Health classes in California high schools will soon cover more than nutrition and exercise. Thanks to a new law that went into effect Jan. 1, students will learn about depression, schizophrenia, mood disorders and other serious mental health conditions. Carolyn Jones EdSource -- 1/10/22

Also . . .   

Michael Parks, former Los Angeles Times editor and foreign correspondent, dies -- Michael Parks, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa and later led the Los Angeles Times during a tumultuous period that ended when the Chandler family sold the newspaper after a century of control, died on Saturday. He was 78. Michael Finnegan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22

Dog tracker has helped hundreds of families reunite with their runaway pets -- Dog recovery specialist Babs Fry says that in order to find a missing canine, you need to think like a canine. Pam Kragen in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 1/10/22